Readers take on East Devon birds photo challenge

%image(14140539, type="article-full", alt="I was sat outside Exmouth Lifeboat Station, where the sea was choppy on Monday 17th September 2018. Picture: Luke Eveleigh")

We’ve put together this gallery of fantastic photos that our readers have been sharing with us over the week. Many of our readers took part in our ‘Birds’ photo challenge and sent their cracking shots in to us via our image-sharing website - iwitness24.

If you would like to get involved and start seeing your pictures in print/online then join iwitness24, our community of local photographers, at: eastdevon.iwitness24.co.uk.

PHOTO CHALLENGE: We regularly set our readers a photo challenge to have a go at and the next theme is ‘Trees’. We are looking for your best tree pictures from any East Devon location. To enter go to eastdevon.iwitness24.co.uk and upload your images to the East Devon ‘Photo Challenge’ group and we’ll include them in an online gallery and possibly in print.

MORE: See the latest from iwitness24 on our Facebook page.

%image(14140540, type="article-full", alt="A tame Red Robin taken at the Hut by Exmouth cricket ground. Picture: Paul Hezzell")

%image(14140541, type="article-full", alt="Walked into the garden and found the Sparrowhawk having his lunch, he kept an eye on me but eventually flew off with his prize. Picture: Peter Harvey")

%image(14140542, type="article-full", alt="Walked into the garden and found the Sparrowhawk having his lunch, he kept an eye on me but eventually flew off with his prize. Picture: Peter Harvey")

%image(14140543, type="article-full", alt="Exmouth seafront waiting for food. Picture: Paul Hezzell")

%image(14140544, type="article-full", alt="Taken from Exmouth train across Woodbury/Lympstone/Exton. Picture: Paul Hezzell")

%image(14140545, type="article-full", alt="Photo of this beautiful bird taken at Wildwood, Escot. Picture: Samantha Coleman")

%image(14140546, type="article-full", alt="Taken from Exmouth train across Woodbury/Lympstone/Exton. Picture: Paul Hezzell")

%image(14140547, type="article-full", alt="East Devon is such a beautiful place with magical landscapes and memorable sunsets. We tend to forget that it is also an area full of wildlife particularly along the coastline, estuaries and rivers. This image taken at RSPB Bowling Green Marsh near Topsham depicts a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) seemingly hanging in the air at the edge of the reserve. Picture: Alec Owen-Evans")

%image(14140548, type="article-full", alt="This juvenile green woodpecker sat on my roof in the sunshine for at least half an hour! Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140549, type="article-full", alt="East Devon is such a beautiful place with magical landscapes and memorable sunsets. We tend to forget that it is also and area full of wildlife particularly along the coastline, estuaries and rivers. This image taken at RSPB Matford Marsh near Matford depicts a beautiful male Mute Swan (Gygnus olor) fanning its wings in a territorial display at the beginning of this years breeding season. Picture: Alec Owen-Evans")

%image(14140550, type="article-full", alt="East Devon is such a beautiful place with magical landscapes and memorable sunsets. We tend to forget that it is also and area full of wildlife particularly along the coastline, estuaries and rivers. This image taken at RSPB Bowling Green Marsh near Topsham depicts two Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) battling for position along the edge of the reserve. Picture: Alec Owen-Evans")

%image(14140551, type="article-full", alt="Composite shots of two starlings enjoying a bath in my garden together with my comments to tell the story! Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140552, type="article-full", alt="A single baby sparrow getting all the attention! Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140553, type="article-full", alt="Unusual to see a goldfinch and a greenfinch together on the same feeder. Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140554, type="article-full", alt="This starling was determined to get at the fat ball at all costs! Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140555, type="article-full", alt="Broadhembury church robin. Picture: Sharon Wells")

%image(14140556, type="article-full", alt="I was visiting in the "World Of Country Life" park, on Sunday 9th September 2018, when visiting there with friends who came as a group of 68 from the "Torbay Gateway Club". Picture: Luke Eveleigh")

%image(14140557, type="article-full", alt="This was taken last Saturday - maybe it will be the last day of summer for 2018. Picture: Hieth George")

%image(14140558, type="article-full", alt="A relaxing Sunday ride on Exmouth Beach. Picture: Hieth George")

%image(14140559, type="article-full", alt="I was over at the Maer, on a sunny morning of Saturday 15th September 2018. Picture: Luke Eveleigh")

%image(14140560, type="article-full", alt=""I'm watching you". This partridge became so tame that it posed for the camera! Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140561, type="article-full", alt="Is there any more colourful bird than the goldfinch? Picture: Barbara Mellor")

%image(14140557, type="article-full", alt="This was taken last Saturday - maybe it will be the last day of summer for 2018. Picture: Hieth George")

%image(14140562, type="article-full", alt="Holiday makers enjoying the late summer afternoon sunshine at Ladram Bay. Picture: Keith Cornish")

%image(14140563, type="article-full", alt="Whilst beach combing at Ladram Bay last Thursday on the bottom of a big tide I took this lovely late afternoon photo of one of the 'stacks'. Picture: Keith Cornish")

%image(14140564, type="article-full", alt="Making the most of a great summer's day in Exmouth. Taking this opportunity to get out and do some macro photography. Before capturing this image I was sat in the same spot on the meadow for a couple of hours at Bystock Pools watching all the insect life fly around me, nothing stopping or landing long enough for me to get a shot until I managed to find and capture this composition of a dragonfly. Well worth the wait! Picture: Jake Griffiths")

%image(14140565, type="article-full", alt="This photo was taken at Birdland during a holiday to The Cotswolds. Spent ages just watching the little guys play in the water, fascinated by their colours and markings. Picture: Katie Williams")

%image(14140566, type="article-full", alt="Sometimes the most common of birds are the best ones to photograph, this is a true beauty. Picture: Jake Griffiths")

%image(14140567, type="article-full", alt="These guys made us laugh so much at Birdland in The Cotswolds. First time seeing Emporer Penguins & their characteristics made some great photos including this photo - 3 in a row. Picture: Katie Williams")

%image(14140568, type="article-full", alt="This photo was taken in September 2018 at Birdland in Bourton On The Water, Cotswolds. The little guy even said Hello to us. Picture: Katie Williams")

%image(14140569, type="article-full", alt="Patience is Key. I took a walk down the River Otter with my camera, had been out for 4 hours and had yet seen nothing. I was ready to give up and go home, instead I decided to stick around a little longer which was when this guy showed up! He was watching me for a whole 20 minutes while I snapped away, being so close and having the opportunity to photograph him was the best. You never know what you will see or what you will photograph and that is the perks of wildlife photography. Picture: Jake Griffiths")

%image(14140570, type="article-full", alt="Bystock Pools is one of my favourite locations to take my camera when doing macro photography. There is so much life up on the meadows it is a great place to practice and learn. Picture: Jake Griffiths")

%image(14140571, type="article-full", alt="Windy wall along Budleigh beach. Picture: Jason Sedgemore")

%image(14140572, type="article-full", alt="Love this Peacock's expression! Taken at Wildwood, Escot. Picture: Samantha Coleman")

%image(14140573, type="article-full", alt="You pass the same place everyday but then one day you see it differently and want to record it on film.")

%image(14140574, type="article-full", alt="I was out in my boat last week traveling from Budleigh Salterton back to Exmouth and as Exmouth came into view so did this amazing sunset. It looked as though the whole sky in the west was on fire. Picture: Simon Barnett")